Archived Thread

Rookie Pool Estimates for all 32 teams in 2013

The Giants' rookie pool number for 2013, according to Jason from overthecap.com, is estimated to be $4,614,587.

Here's part of the preface to the article:

Quote:

"The following are my estimates for the current costs of the rookie pools for each NFL team. These estimates are based on the assumption that the salary cap will not rise by enough to create a material impact on the NFL rookie pool and that the league will continue to institutue a salary freeze on signing bonus money, rather than reducing it which seems to be their right under the current CBA. These totals do not include compensatory picks as those have not yet been awarded. When awarded I will update accordingly."

by Jason from overthecap.com (see the link at the very bottom of his post for reference)

**Click on the link below for the complete preface and article itself. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Here are his estimated rookie pool salary cap numbers for the Giants in 2013. Those of the rest of the NFL clubs in 2013 can be found listed on the link below. Please keep in mind that all of these numbers are merely estimates at this point in time and do not include compensatory picks (which are awarded at the end of March):

NOTES:
 The Giants rank 20th out of all clubs in this category, ranging from biggest rookie pool allocation to smallest, with their total of $4,614,587.
 The total range is from approximately $7.84 M to $2.92 M.
 The Eagles have the biggest rookie pool allocation estimate, with $7,836,357.
 The Colts have the smallest rookie pool allocation estimate, with $2,917,155.
 Estimates will change after compensatory picks are awarded, and according to the amount of picks that teams have.
 Changes in estimates will of course be made to reflect trades and transactions involving draft picks prior to the draft, during it, and after its conclusion, at which point speculation will cease, since the numbers will be concrete at that point.
 Click on the link below for the rest of NFL clubs.

1.) Cruz would cost $2.879 M against the cap, if tendered at the 1st round tender rate, which he undoubtedly will be.
2.) S. Brown would cost $2.023 M against the cap, if tendered at the 2nd round tender rate, which he most likely will be.
3.) A. Brown would cost $1.323 M against the cap, if tendered at the original round tender rate, which he most likely will be.

**On a sidenote, A. Browns original round was the 4th round of the 2009 draft, so that's what any team that would agree to sign him would have to be willing to give up to the Giants to keep him, which is VERY unlikely since RBs are a dime a dozen.

The Giants will need another $6.225 million in cap space to make room for their Restricted Free Agents (RFAs).

If you add that amount to the rookie pool money $4,614,587, then the Giants will need to be $10,839,587 under the cap.

Right now they're supposedly a little over about $4 million under the cap. This means that they need to clear close to about another $7 million in cap space. This means more players have to agree to paycuts, and some more who have to be released if they don't do so, thereby creating the requisite room under the cap.

The good news is that the timetable works out for the Giants well with respect to the draft, since it's a little over 2 months from now, giving them plenty of time to make the necessary room under the cap. The problem lies with the RFAs. They'll need to clear a little more than 2 million bucks more to sign Cruz, S. Brown, & A. Brown, at the RFA tender rates mentioned above. They will need to do this within the next calendar month, which gives them time, but the clock is definitely clicking.

I didn't even count the money that the Giants need to make under the cap for re-signing their own players in Unrestricted Free Agency (UFA), which include: Beatty, Bennett, Boothe, Hixon, Carr, and maybe even guys like a Chase Blackburn and Keith Rivers to fortify the LB corps--God knows that they're short on bodies at that particular position.

With the cap being tight like it is, the Giants may have to re-sign guys like Blackburn and Rivers because of circumstances due to the salary cap and lack of depth at the Linebacker position. Those 2 would not cost much, and the Giants are know what they can do (which is rather be limited, unfortunately). I didn't even bother to mention Osi, Phillips, or Tynes because it's widely assumed that they're gone, and would cost too much to keep.

Don't forget that the Giants need money to sign other players too, if they would like, so that means guys on the roster whose performances don't match their high cap numbers, like a Diehl or a Webster, or even a Tuck or a Snee (although unlikely for these latter two), could be targets for paycuts or being released. The option to restructured some deals for guys on the team, not in danger of of being released in order to create more cap room this year--although at expense of creating more in later years--is also there. Ideal candidates for that include guys like Eli and Rolle.

All in all, the Giants will be forced into making more hard decisions with respect to the cap in order to make room for the RFAs (Cruz and the 2 Browns), rookies, and in order to re-sign their own UFAs. They'll have room to probably a select couple of guys from other teams in UFA, but it won't be many. Don't bank on any splurges for a FA RT if they re-sign Beatty to play OLT, or another similar player at that position to take his place, like a B. Albert. Like many years past, the Giants will be up against the cap, and won't be splurging on FAs.

They're probably gonna try and get Diehl and Webster to agree to paycuts; if they don't then they'll release them. They'll probably try to re-sign them at more affordable prices after letting them go, if that's what they do, just like they did with Jacobs and Bernard in 2011.

Diehl would be a definite resign IMO ... he's smart enough to know his tiered contract was a good deal for him ... and a cut now would give a good Diehl (I had to get the pun in) to the Giants ...
I think they just have to show Webster a couple of games this past season for him also to realize a pay cut is well deserved ...

I think they'll be softer with Tuck ... although the kind of guy he is and his lifestyle has him set for life already I'm sure ...

The best way for the Giants to continue to have success at this point is having a good draft (hopefully an excellent one), and finding talent in the Undrafted Rookie Free Agent market after the draft. They not only increase depth, they also keep the salary cap relatively lower, and give the team more control over the roster.

It's critical that they hit home runs in the draft. They need to transition away from the players who won 2 SBs here, and need to establish a young core of healthy, hungry, talented, and cheap players here who can follow Eli to hopefully 1 more during his tenure here, and maybe even another after that if things break right. That process began last year, and needs to continue in this year's draft, as well as next year's.

It's probably a moot point for this year anyway, but next year is a different situation. The Giants (I mean Reese ad Mara) won't let sentimentality get in the way of winning. Hopefully Snee makes it easy on them and plays better or retires after next season, but if neither of those two things happen, and the Giants feel that it's best hat they move on from him--meaning they'd release him--then they' won't hesitate to do so.

It's not like it would be some "Don't cry for me Argentina moment". Give me a break. It'll be business as usual in the NFL. This day is bound to come almost all the players in the league. Not many get to leave the game on their own terms.

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